


Lavenders Blue

by spirithorse



Series: Tales from Britannia [6]
Category: Code Geass
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-01
Updated: 2015-11-01
Packaged: 2018-04-29 10:40:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 10,589
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5124497
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spirithorse/pseuds/spirithorse
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Short one-shots written for Suzaeuphy Week on tumblr.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. I'll Show Thee the Way

**Author's Note:**

> All of these are shorts written and posted between 10/25 and 10/31. They're all still on my tumblr under the #suzaeupy week, but also put here for archival purposes. The title is taken from an old English folk song of the same name.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for the prompt "Cats," and part of my [horror AU](http://eachainn.tumblr.com/post/77859664500/sothe-only-horror-game-that-i-know-well-is-fatal) idea. Title taken from _Come Little Children_

Euphemia clutched the flashlight tightly in her hand, keeping her eyes wide even as the beam skittered all over the place. She had heard once that widening your eyes in the dark would help you see things, if only in her peripheral vision. As it was, it had to be better than the flashlight, because she couldn’t keep her hand still. She swallowed and made one last concerted effort to keep the flashlight steady. The old house was full of rotting wood, awkwardly rolled up carpets and holes in the floor, she didn’t want to risk falling; not when she didn’t know where anyone else was.

Lelouch had ventured into the house with her, but they had gotten separated when she had hesitated outside of a room for a fraction too long and the door had locked between them. Euphemia smiled at the memory of her brother raging at the faulty building of the old mansion and how a door couldn’t just close on its own. Her smile faltered when she remembered the faint dragging sound that had eventually silenced Lelouch, the two of them listening hard at the door until the high pitched scream from Lelouch’s side had sent her running.

She remembered rushing blindly through the house, desperate to try and get out before whatever was came for her. It was only when she had stumbled back into the front hall of the house that she had gotten a hold of herself. She couldn’t leave Lelouch, and neither of them could leave Nunnally. Her cousins were somewhere in the house and it was her duty to find them.

Euphemia swallowed, closing her other hand over to the flashlight in the hopes that it would help steady the beam. She needed to keep it together long enough to find Lelouch and Nunnally. Once the three of them were together, Euphemia was sure that she would feel safer.

A long creak made her spin around, Euphemia pointing her shaking flashlight at the door that had swung open. She licked her lips, keeping her flashlight focused on it.

She couldn’t remember if it had been open when she had walked past, there had been a few floorboards that had started to give dangerously when she had moved down that section of the hallway. It could have just been improperly shut and blown open by wind, except that Euphemia  _knew_  that none of the doors and windows would open. She had tried anything that looked like it led to the outside in the hopes that she would find a quick escape route for the three of them. But nothing opened, not even when she threw her whole weight against the doors or threw things at the windows. Nothing made sense in the old house, so she wasn’t going to leave anything to chance, not when she had seen things.

Euphemia shivered and started backing away from the door, throwing quick glances over her shoulder. She was almost at the end of the hall, which meant that she had covered the entire wing of the house with no sign of either Lelouch or Nunnally. That left the main part of the house and the right wing to explore, half of which Euphemia was sure that she had been through before. Her blind, panicked run had taken her through most of the house, but she couldn’t remember what she had seen in those rooms. There had been nothing but the need to get out and the feeling that things were watching her.

She eyed the door, taking a deep breath before turning around and walking down the rest of the hallway. Euphemia grabbed the door back to the main section of the house and pulled it open, stepping through and closing it behind her in quick succession. She leaned against the door, panting for breath as she tried to calm her racing heart.

She didn’t know how much longer she could walk through the house, because it felt like she was barely holding onto her sanity as it was. Euphemia bit back a whimper and slid down to sit on the floor, resting her head against her knees.

She didn’t want to leave Lelouch and Nunnally, she  _couldn’t_. But what help would she be if she was doing nothing but jumping at shadows? Besides, she had made sure to memorize the route through the house that she had taken. If Lelouch and Nunnally hadn’t been paying attention to where they were going or were lost in the maze of rooms, then she was the only one who could get them all out. They needed her, and she wasn’t about to let them down.

Euphemia took a few deep breaths, choking on one when she heard the sound of something moving. She looked around for something to hide behind, her heart pounding fast when she realized that she would have to make a dash for an old vase close to the grand staircase. Between her and the vase was nothing but open, creaky floor. Whatever was coming was sure to hear her, which meant that it might be better to stay where she was.

It had worked before, back when she had started to make her way through the house again. There had been all sorts of ghosts making their way through the house, and none of them seemed to notice her when she ducked behind objects and just waited for them to pass. The ones that had spotted her had been easy to lose, all she had to do was run fast enough until she had gotten away from where they were patrolling. But she hadn’t had to deal with any for a while, which made her nervous. If they weren’t chasing her, then they had to be going after Lelouch or Nunnally. Or maybe they weren’t following her cousins at all.

Maybe they were just waiting.

A deep rattling breath from the other side of the door made her jump, Euphemia clamping her hands over her mouth to keep from screaming. The sound repeated itself, Euphemia closing her eyes. She could feel tears running over her fingers, but she didn’t dare make a sound, not with whatever it was so close.

The thing kept up its slow, rattling breathing, Euphemia tensing when she heard it take a long sniff. She glanced around the hall, looking for something else for it to be smelling, because it couldn’t be smelling  _her_. But there was nothing else. Euphemia swallowed, listening as the rattling breaths came back, this time louder. The thing wasn’t moving from the door, if anything it was getting closer.

The door rattled behind her, Euphemia hearing the thing grunt before it backed up, presumably to try again. Euphemia braced herself against the door, desperate to find a way out. The thing was sure to break down the door, or pass through it if it was a ghost. She could just imagine the thing reaching through the door and closing its hands around her throat. Euphemia bit her lip, pressing her shoulders firmly against the door in the vain hopes that it would be enough.

A soft ring got her attention, Euphemia turning her head to the side. A cat peered out from a small door on the wall. The cat meowed at her before stepping further forward. The bell tinkled again, Euphemia hearing the rattling breath come to an abrupt stop on the other side of the door. She didn’t know if that meant that the thing had left or it was trying to figure out what was happening, but she wasn’t going to stay and find out. The door that the cat was standing inside was wide enough for her to squeeze through, so she would take it. As far as she could see, there wasn’t another option for her.

She took a deep breath and lunged for the small door, the cat giving way as she scrambled inside. Euphemia turned as soon as she was in the space, yanking the door almost shut behind her. She pressed her eye to the sliver that she had left open, watching as the door she had been pressed against jerked and shuddered. Whatever was behind it looked like it was winning, and it probably wouldn’t take it long to find her again.

Euphemia jerked the door the rest of the way shut, shuffling back from the hidden door. She fumbled with her flashlight, trying to lift it in the small space.

Something furry and warm curled around her arm, Euphemia yelping and dropping the flashlight. The flashlight rolled around on the ground, illuminating the cat as it gave her a look of disdain.

Euphemia sighed and held up her hand to the cat, smiling when it rubbed the side of its head against her fingers. “Thank you.”

The cat’s tail twitched in response before it turned and sauntered down the passage. Euphemia watched it go, reaching forward for her flashlight. As soon as she got a good grip of it she crawled after the cat. There was nothing else that she could do, not with that thing waiting for her back in the hallway. Besides, the cat seemed to know where it was going, which was far better than what she had been doing. Even if she was led off track, she could take a moment to pause and figure out her next plan.

Still, there was something that felt right about following the cat.

Euphemia kept her eye on the cat’s tail, only seeing it when it flicked in and out of the beam of the flashlight beam. It was hard to see the rest of the black cat in the dark tunnel, especially when her concentration kept wavering.

She could hear things moving above her sometimes, heavy and light footsteps. Sometimes, they were running and, sometimes, she could hear screaming.

Euphemia shivered, locking her gaze on the cat. It didn’t seemed as bothered as she was by all the strange noises. Then again, the cat probably lived in the house, so it was used to the strange things going on. The cat probably knew when to get away while Euphemia was left flailing around on her own.

She came to an abrupt stop when the cat squeezed out through a hole in the wall, Euphemia staring at the spot in the darkness. There was no way that she would fit through the hole, but there could be another way out. She doubted that anyone would build a secret passage without another way out.

She lifted her hand to feel along the wall, smiling when she felt a section give. Euphemia took a deep breath before shoving her shoulder against the section.

It took a few more good shoves to have the section give way completely. The hinged section swung out, the bottom dragging against the ground from a broken hinge. Euphemia pushed at it, remaining on her hands and knees until she was completely out of the passage.

She took a deep breath of the clear air, shining her flashlight around the new space that she had found.

The cat had led her out into the garden, Euphemia seeing carefully set out sections filled with weeds and overgrown plants. There were a few trees, but they were tangled with the house and some had even fallen over into some of the carefully ordered paths. Euphemia made a point to check the corners of the garden, expecting to see a ghost floating there, but there was nothing. The only thing that was making the tall grass move was the soft night breeze.

The sound of the cat’s bell drew her attention back towards the center of the garden. She saw the flick of the cat’s tail as it disappeared into the long grass.

Euphemia was quick to follow it. The cat hadn’t steered her wrong so far, and she didn’t want to lose it. With luck, it might lead her to where her cousins were.

She pushed through the grass towards the center of the garden, coming to an abrupt stop when she saw the figure by the fountain.

The cat had hopped up onto the ledge of the old fountain and was being stroked by a ghost. The cat was purring as it arched into the touch, Euphemia watching with her mouth open wide.

The ghost hadn’t noticed her, so she could just retreat until she was sure that it was gone. There was plenty of tall grass to hide herself away in, all she had to do was turn off her flashlight.

She didn’t get the chance to move, her eyes widening as she saw the cat turn its head and bite down on the ghost’s hand. The ghost winced and jerked its hand back, even though the motion couldn’t have hurt, Euphemia had seen the cat’s fangs sink right through the ghost’s hand.

The ghost hissed and shook his hand out, Euphemia sucking in a quick breath when the ghost partially turned towards her. “Suzaku.”

She hadn’t meant to say his name or draw his attention to her, but that didn’t stop her from smiling when he looked back at her. Euphemia stepped forward, unable to hold herself back. It didn’t matter that Suzaku had been dead for two years and that she didn’t know what he was doing in the old mansion in the first place. He was the first familiar face she had seen for what seemed like hours. “Suzaku!”

She reached out for him, curling her fingers in towards her palm when he took a step back. She was about to ask what was wrong when he flickered, disappearing for a moment only to reappear on the other side of the fountain. Suzaku gave her a mournful look before shaking his head.

Euphemia stared at him for a moment, trying to understand what he meant. She was still trying to work out what he meant when Suzaku turned and walked away.

She lunged forward, catching herself on the side of the fountain. She thought that she saw him hesitate, Euphemia leaning forward. When he kept moving forward, a sob escaped her. She couldn’t bear to see him walking away, not when she had a feeling that it might be the last time that she saw him.

Euphemia didn’t want to remember him like this, she wanted her last memory of him to be smiling, the one that she had carefully hoarded for two years.

“Suzaku, wait! Please, don’t go!”

Euphemia dodged around the fountain, ignoring the cat’s plaintive meow as she rushed after Suzaku’s ghost.


	2. Sing to Me, O Muse

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for the prompt "Cultural Exchange" and part of a [Gods and Goddesses](http://eachainn.tumblr.com/post/130137570178/hades-and-persephone-au-cc-shook-her-head-at-the) AU that I did.

C.C. paused in her careful examination of the souls that were filing into the palace at the feeling of something different. She had gotten used to the way that Lelouch felt, like bright springtime compared to the rest of her realm. Lelouch’s aura had shifted since he had hidden away with her, but there was still something of the spring in him. The only reason she noticed it more often was the fact that Euphemia had joined her half-brother. Out of all the children that Charles had, C.C. didn’t think that there was anyone brighter, save Nunnally, and that was saying something. When the sun king’s children shone brighter than him, something was wrong. Even if she hadn’t been listening to Charles’ children she would have suspected that another power struggle was going to start.

She just hoped that Lelouch gave her plenty of time to hunker down before he started his grand rebellion in his father. She also wished that he would stop using her realm for a staging point. It was hard to move the dead through when Lelouch was constantly bringing his allies or his half-siblings down to visit. It was enough to make her seriously consider shutting her realm to anyone on the outside, if only until Lelouch finished his temper tantrum.

C.C. dragged her hand around a column, stepping out into the portico. She tipped her head up, taking a deep breath as she spread her awareness around her realm. She touched briefly on the more solid presences in the eternal fields, lingering among them before it snapped to what was coming towards her palace.

It wasn’t dangerous, C.C. could feel that much. Whoever was coming towards them was being respectful, which was better than some of the others she had gotten. Charles had attempted to storm down into her realm once. Just the once.

She opened her eyes when she caught the scent of summer, fire and incense, the latter only vaguely familiar to her. She rarely smelled that kind of incense but, then again, most people didn’t burn incense for a goddess of the dead. There was only one group of deities that she knew of that had that smell following them.

C.C. tipped her head up, easily picking out the bright red bird soaring by. She watched as the bird circled, raising her hand to wave before stepping back into the palace.

She wasn’t surprised when the bird whipped past her. C.C. pushed the hair away from her eyes as the bird angled up as it came in to land.

The bird’s talons scraped across the ground, the creature hunching over on itself. Its wings swept forward, C.C. watching as the bird’s long tail feathers swept out. The bird remained bent over in an almost bow before it moved, its feathers sloughing off to reveal a young man.

The man nodded at C.C before he gaze darted back to the two deities that were sitting on the other end of the hall.

Euphemia was the first one to move, pushing away from where she was sitting by Lelouch. She stepped carefully down from the dais before breaking into a run. C.C. prudently moved to the side, raising an eyebrow as Euphemia plowed into the boy, nearly knocking them both over. “Suzaku!”

The two of them laughed, C.C. watching as Euphemia pulled a feather out of Suzaku’s hair. That drew more laughter out of them, C.C. rolling her eyes and leaning back against the pillar. They were acting like the lovers she sometimes got inside the palace. It was slightly sickening, which meant that it was still early stages. After all, she hadn’t heard Lelouch talking about it, but that could mean that he just approved. That in itself was surprising enough.

C.C. huffed, glancing over to where Lelouch was hesitating behind his half-sister. She raised an eyebrow when he looked her way, huffing at the way that Lelouch quickly found something else to occupy his attention. So he had known, which made this meeting purposeful. She might be willing to help hide his allies, but she drew the line at becoming a hiding place for everyone who didn’t agree with their parents. There were plenty of other places that they could tuck themselves away, all they had to do was look for them.

Euphemia managed to pull herself away from Suzaku, patting his shoulder before darting back to Lelouch. She grabbed onto her half-brother’s hand and pulled him back into the palace. She was probably going to have Lelouch help gather her things and say goodbye to her half-brother. C.C. didn’t know what the plan was, but she was sure that it would fold into one of Lelouch’s grand plans for striking out against his father. Or maybe it was just him making sure that his favorite siblings were out of harm’s way. She couldn’t tell with Lelouch and, sometimes, she suspected that he never really had one reason for doing anything.

She sidled up to Suzaku, giving the god a nod. He eyed her warily before returning the nod. “My lady.”

C.C. chuckled and shook her head. “Don’t bother, I don’t stand on formality here.”

He nodded, but he still looked unsure, not that she blamed him. C.C. didn’t think she had visited where Suzaku had come from in eons, which meant that she was a shadowy figure to them.

She tipped her head to the side, watching his gaze rock over to where Euphemia had disappeared. His face softened, C.C. taking in the expression before huffing. “How long has that been going on?”

“Uh…”

“That long, huh?” C.C. watched the blush rise on his face, more amused by his reaction than anything else. “So you’re meeting here because Daddy doesn’t approve?”

She saw him wince at the mention of fathers, raising an eyebrow and concentrating on him as Suzaku spoke up.

“Her mother actually. Apparently her sister ran away with a mortal and Euphy’s mother is worried that she will do the same.”

“So, you’re barely a step up for her.”

Suzaku shrugged. “I love her.”

“Of course you do.” C.C. crossed her arms over her chest, looking down the hallway that Lelouch and Euphemia had run down. She couldn’t help the smile that started at the corner of her mouth. “The realm of the dead isn’t the most romantic place to meet.”

“It’s the only place that they won’t look.”

“That seems to be the case.” She eyed Suzaku carefully, watching as he gaze moved back towards the portico, wincing when he saw the spirits waiting there. C.C. cocked her head to the side, touching his shoulder. She felt him jerk under her touch, but C.C. holding on a moment. It was just long enough to see the shadow image of a man, one crumbling over a knife buried in his stomach, and a horrified kid.

She stepped away from him, giving him a slow nod. “He won’t find you here. He’s too far back to even know you’re in here.”

“How-”

“It’s my realm. Why wouldn’t I keep it in order?” She allowed a quick smile before making a shooing motion. “Now hurry up and get out of here before they all get curious. Lelouch was bad enough.”

“Of course.” Suzaku stared at her for a moment before bowing quickly. She didn’t get the time to remind him to drop the formality before he was jogging away.

C.C. watched him, shaking her head. A bright spot of color drew her attention to the floor, C.C. raising her eyebrow at the bright red feather. She bent over to pick it up, turning it between her fingers. She smiled to herself and tucked the feather up in her hair. It was probably too bright in the dull light of her realm, but maybe that was her imagination. She had been the host of so many of the sun king’s children that maybe the realm of the dead had brightened up. It was especially hard to hide in the gloom when a two summer gods were so in love in her palace. With her luck, the whole afterlife would be glowing.

She shrugged, reaching up to pat the feather. Maybe Lelouch was right.

Maybe it was time for a change.


	3. Like the Edge of a Rose Petal

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for the prompt "Royalty/Formality/Knight" and part of my [Checkmate series](http://eachainn.tumblr.com/post/82798243191/checkmate-lelouchcc-week-day-2-static)

“The four seasons were coloured like the edge of a rose petal for them.”  
- _The Once and Future King,_  T.H. White

* * *

 

Euphemia was right where he had last seen her, out on the floor with one of the young nobles who hadn’t dared Lelouch’s glare to dance with Nunnally. Suzaku took a step back so he was closer to the wall, out of the way of the young men and women who were spinning around on the dance floor. He smiled when her partner swung her over, watching as Euphemia’s face lit up. She nodded at him before she was turned away.

Suzaku fell into parade rest, his gaze scanning over the crowd. It was a force of habit, not that Suzaku thought that there would be a problem at Nunnally’s debut into society. He had yet to meet anyone that wanted to hurt the princess, save for the young men who Lelouch was sure would break his sister’s heart. Suzaku shifted to one side, catching sight of Nunnally in her wheelchair in the center of the floor. The princess didn’t seem to see him, not that Suzaku wanted her to.

It was her night, she deserved to enjoy every minute of it. That was most of the reason that he and C.C. had made sure to get Lelouch out of the way early. Without Lelouch to scare away the guests, Nunnally would probably spend the entire night dancing.

The music came to an end, Suzaku’s gaze moving back over to Euphemia. The princess and her partner bowed to each other before splitting off in separate directions. Suzaku watched as the man moved off towards the buffet, probably going to take advantage of the drink selection. With so many people moving in the ballroom it was starting to get hot, even with some of the windows open to let in the chilly October air. Suzaku watched the young man until he was lost in the crowd, turning his attention back to Euphemia just as she made her way over to him. A few of the people stepped back to let her through, but most were too busy in their little knots of conversation.

Euphemia slipped through the groups without a problem, turning sideways to slide through the closer ones. Suzaku stepped forward, offering his arm to Euphemia as she came around to his side. She took his arm, using it to tuck herself close to his side.

She was warm against him, and panting slightly. He hadn’t been around for the entirety of the ball, he had been chasing after Lelouch for the first hour to make sure that everything was going perfectly. Suzaku was sure that Euphemia had spent that time matching Nunnally dance for dance, just for the sheer fun of it. Suzaku held her steady as she caught her breath, glad that the orchestra was taking a break to eat a few of the finger foods and drink. Knowing Euphemia, she would want to dance until the last song, especially now that he was free.

“Should I go get you a drink?”

Euphemia shook her head, reaching up to push her bangs out of her eyes. “No. Just give me another minute or two. Lord Darby always likes to try and dance faster than the orchestra can play. He takes everything as a challenge.”

Suzaku glanced over to where Lord Darby was leaning against the wall, halfway bent over as he tried to catch his breath. When he looked back at Euphemia, he thought he saw a hint of a smirk on her face before her expression went back to a soft smile. She leaned into Suzaku, lowering her voice. “Is the Lelouch situation under control?”

“C.C. is handling it.”

Euphemia nodded. “Good. I didn’t want Nunnally to have to say anything to him. I think he just realized that his little sister is growing up and panicked.”

Suzaku nodded, his attention going back to the orchestra. Some of them were gathering their instruments and returning to their seats. Half of the musicians were still out, but their break was coming to an end. He glanced over at Euphemia, watching as she scanned over the crowd. She bounced up onto her toes as she spotted someone, probably one of her friends.

He loosened his hold on her arm, surprised when Euphemia quickly leaned into him again. “Since C.C. has Lelouch well in hand, are you free to dance?”

Suzaku was taken aback by her directness, but not surprised that she had beaten him to the punch. Euphemia had always been like that around him, blurting out what she was thinking without observing the careful dance of the court. It was refreshing in a way, but more often surprising because Suzaku had gotten used to the court manners.

He stared at her for a moment, taking note of her breathing which was still slightly fast. “I’m free until morning. What about you?”

She waved her free hand dismissively. “I’ll be fine once they get back from their break. They’ll be another break when they bring out the cake in a few hours.”

Suzaku glanced back towards the door to the ballroom, tempted to excuse himself for a few minutes. The orchestra was still gathering and it wouldn’t take too long to run down to Lelouch’s room. He was sure that the main suite room would be safe enough, all he would have to do was knock on the bedroom door and deliver his message. The only problem with the plan would be that he and C.C. would have to extract Lelouch from the ballroom again, and he would be even less willing to go a second time. Besides, Suzaku was not in the mood for tempting C.C’s good will.

The stirring of the crowd brought his attention back to the dance floor. Suzaku got a brief look at the orchestra reforming before Euphemia towed him out onto the floor.

Suzaku went without a protest, taking a moment to nod at Nunnally where another young lord was bowing over her hand. Nunnally gave him a brilliant smile, giving him a long look before holding up two fingers. Suzaku acknowledged the request with a smile, turning back to Euphemia. He didn’t mind dancing with Nunnally, especially on her birthday. He was just grateful that she had given him some time with Euphemia.

Euphemia didn’t seem to have noticed the exchange, she was too busy pulling him into position, Suzaku fumbling to remember where he placed his hands. Euphemia didn’t seem to mind the time that he took, smiling gently at him as he got into position. She nodded when he got his hands in the right place, gently squeezing the hand that she was holding. “Ready?”

Suzaku didn’t get the chance to answer as the orchestra played the first few notes of the dance. He glanced at Euphemia, swallowing hard as he tried to dredge up the memory of the dance. He vaguely remembered the few dance lessons he’d had in his training, but it all jumbled together. Suzaku took a deep breath, meeting Euphemia’s eyes as he waited for the cue of the first time. He was given another encouraging smile, Euphemia glancing at his right foot.

He took the hint, stepping forward with his right as the dance began properly. Suzaku gave Euphemia a shaky smile before starting to guide her along the floor, relaxing when he heard her laugh. He spun her around, keeping a careful hold of her as he pulled her close. Suzaku blushed when she kissed his cheek and then she was pulling him back into the pattern of the dance. Suzaku smiled and let her, carefully copying her steps as she led him through the dance.


	4. Be Granted Glory

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for the prompt "Confession."

“May those who accept their fate be granted happiness. May those who defy it be granted glory.”  
- _Princess Tutu_

* * *

 

“I don’t think I can do this.”

Euphemia heard the rough scratch of Suzaku’s pen across the paper come to an abrupt stop. She didn’t dare look over at him, not when she was sure that she would see the despair on his face. Out of everything, she couldn’t stand to see Suzaku looking like that.

She pulled her knees up to her chest, wrapping her arms around them. She swallowed and focused on the two people in the school yard in front of her.

Lelouch was bent over talking to Nunnally, Euphemia seeing the young girl laugh and smile. The expression just made her stomach twist, because it would be her fault when Nunnally stopped smiling. She curled her fingers into her skirt, her gaze darting over to a point over Lelouch’s shoulder so she wouldn’t have to look at the two of them. Seeing Kallen standing over his shoulder didn’t help, not when she could still see the woman grinning down at her while she stole away one of Lelouch’s heart fragments.

She rested her chin on her knees, preferring to stare down at the ground. The cobblestone and grass weren’t much better, but it wasn’t staring at the three people that were going to have their lives ruined by what they were doing. Lelouch was going to be sent back to his story, where he was going to die. Nunnally was going to lose a brother. Kallen was going to be stuck in the twisted version of herself that the story had made her.

Euphemia bit her lip, staying silent for a moment before shaking her head. “I don’t want to hurt them. I don’t want to…” She glanced over at Suzaku, taking in his wide green eyes and disheveled brown hair. Euphemia shook her head, pushing back her own worries. “I don’t want you to be hurt.”

Suzaku shrugged, playing with the quill in his hands. The tips of his fingers were stained with ink from the pages and the ink that he was using. She could see a smear of ink along his cheek from where he had wiped his fingers while he was thinking. Suzaku looked like he was about to do it again, but he stopped himself, flicking the end of the feather in her direction. “I’ll be fine.”

She shook her head, looking back down at the grass. She had seen what the woman had done to him when she had appeared. Euphemia had seen the stain on Lelouch and then on Suzaku when the woman had made her threats.

_“The prince sacrifices himself for the sake of the people or the knight sacrifices himself for the prince. The red knight remains behind with the lonely princess. And the savior…she becomes a martyr. That is the only way this story could end.”_   _The woman had paused then, giving her a smile before passing the book and the quill to her. “You can try and rewrite it, but I doubt you can.”_

Euphemia glanced at the book that was sitting between them. It looked innocent for what it was. All five of their lives depended on the story inside. If they didn’t succeed, then it would all be ruined, and she would be back in her woods.

She reached out to touch the book, but she jerked her hand back. She didn’t want to touch it, not when she could still see the blood leaking from Suzaku and Lelouch. Euphemia wasn’t sure if the book itself was evil, but she knew for sure that the person who had written the story had been.

Euphemia combed her fingers through the grass by the book. “Have you thought of anything?”

She didn’t expect anything, since she had asked the night before and Suzaku hadn’t come up with anything. He had pages of new ideas, but nothing that would change their fates. No matter what he came up with, one of them would die.

“Maybe I should just stop. Lelouch is fine right now and it would give us more time…”

“Is he?” Suzaku shifted, Euphemia moving with him. She looked at Lelouch again, wincing at the slightly empty look in his eyes. He wasn’t bothering to come over to them either, like he would have before. He kept close to Kallen now, Euphemia feeling a shiver run up her spine. It wasn’t because she didn’t like Kallen, she couldn’t even hate her considering what was she was been forced to do because of the story. Anything she felt was an instinctual thing, the fear of a dove for a hawk.

She curled her fingers in the grass, feeling some of it give way. Euphemia swallowed and carefully lifted her hand. “I…I don’t know.”

Suzaku gave her a sad smile, Euphemia feeling bad that she had even suggested waiting. She knew what was at stake, because it wasn’t just them. It was everyone around Ashford, giving them a chance of moving forward with their lives instead of being stuck in a cursed loop. It wasn’t fair to keep them in that loop just because she wanted to keep a few people around longer. Worse still, it would mean sacrificing Kallen for her own desires, something that she wouldn’t stand for.

She bit her lip until she tasted blood. The coppery taste shocked her out of her indecision.

Euphemia reached out for Suzaku’s hand, twining their fingers together. She glanced up at his face, relieved that he was smiling. Euphemia took a deep breath, giving him a resolute nod. “I’ll keep looking then, but at least let me help you.”

“You’re welcome to.” Suzaku sat back on the grass, moving the papers so she could see them too. “I can’t seem to make heads or tails of it all.”

Euphemia stared at the notes, trying to make sense of Suzaku’s messy handwriting. She could pick out a few words here and there, but finding the words didn’t matter. She could feel the shape of the story in her mind, but it kept coming to the same two ends. She frowned and scooted closer to Suzaku, using his warmth to distract her from the end of their stories.

She squeezed Suzaku’s hand, fighting against the feeling of inevitability. Their destinies were not to die or fade away, Euphemia was sure of that. And, if the story was so determined to make it that way, then she would fight it. She would fight the pull of the story to the bitter end.


	5. Nothing I Have Ever Known

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for the prompt "Date." Title taken from a song from Spirit Stallion of the Cimarron.

Suzaku walked down the halls of the stadium, surprised by how loud his footsteps sounded in the halls. He glanced around, almost expecting to see the rest of the guards that had been following Euphemia around while she had worked on the opening venue for the Specially Administrative Zone. Then again, the official day had ended hours ago and Euphemia had probably dismissed them to go home.

He sighed and shook his head, turning left on the next fork as he headed to her office. The route would take him past the stadium proper, Suzaku slowing down at the sight of all of the chairs lined up in the field. He had read the estimated number of people that would show up, but it hadn’t meant anything to him. The chairs, on the other hand, were making that number real. The field was nearly completely covered, adding to the thousands that would be allowed to sit in the stadium. Suzaku knew that there would be thousands more that wouldn’t be able to get in. The last meeting that he had sat in on had been about what to do with the people who wouldn’t get into the stadium. To his knowledge, there wasn’t a plan made for them yet.

Suzaku sighed, intended to keep carrying on, but he was brought to a stop when he saw a figure walking across the field. Suzaku shook his head and walked out to meet her.

Euphemia didn’t turn around when he stepped up behind her, her gaze focused on the stands. Suzaku was sure that she didn’t see the empty stands, she was imagining how the whole thing would look when the stadium was full in a few days.

He reached out for her, hesitating before pulling his hand back. There was no telling how deep into her thoughts Euphemia was, and Suzaku didn’t want to disturb her. He knew that he had enough to do between watching her and working through the daily checklists that she gave him, but Euphemia was involved in all aspects of the SAZ. It was a lot to think about, and there was no place for him butting in.

Suzaku settled into parade rest, tipping his head back to watch the stars start to come out. He couldn’t see most of them because of the Tokyo Settlement, but there were enough to start putting together constellations. His recollection of them was spotty, mixed in with the Britannian ones and the ones that he, Lelouch and Nunnally had made up one night during the summer.

“So…what do you think?”

Suzaku looked down when Euphemia spoke. He took the chance to step up to her while he figured out how to answer the question. He stared out at the stadium, trying to picture what Euphemia could have seen, but all he could see were empty seats. Suzaku swayed in place before shrugging. “It looks good.”

“That’s not what I was asking.” Euphemia turned to face him. “Do you still think that this will work?”

It was a common question, one that Suzaku had heard thrown around since they had started working. It was one that he wanted to ask Lelouch, but his friend had made it clear that he wasn’t a fan of the SAZ. Suzaku couldn’t imagine why, at least not without falling back on his suspicions.

He shook his head and scanned over the empty stands. “It’ll work, the people want it to.”

“That’s what the newspapers say.”

“That’s what the people are saying too.”

Euphemia sighed, some of the tension leaking from her. She reached up to push her bangs out of her face. “I haven’t gotten the chance to be with the people lately. There’s been too much to do.”

“Katherine has-”

“I haven’t spent much time with you either.” Euphemia gave him a sheepish smile, her hand dropping back down. It hovered a little way away from her side, Suzaku tempted to reach out to take it. When he didn’t make a move, she turned to face him. “I think that’s the thing I miss the most.”

Suzaku felt a blush creep up his cheeks, quickly looking away. He glanced at the turf underneath his boots before shrugging. “I don’t mind. We’re still spending time together.”

“We’re working. And I think I’m working you too hard.”

“You’re not!”

Euphemia shook her head, reaching out to take his hand. “You’re my knight, so your duty is to guard me. But I’m sending you all over the place too.”

“You’re doing the same with all of your staff.”

“I know but…I want to have time for you. Time that isn’t while you’re on duty.”

It was on the tip of his tongue to say that he was always on duty, but he quickly bit that back. It probably wasn’t what she wanted to hear. It wasn’t something he wanted to commit himself to either. There was something more to his goal now, especially while he was working alongside Euphemia.

He squeezed her hand gently and started leading her back towards the stand at the front of the stadium. “Come on, it’s getting late.”

She nodded, following along after him. She remained quiet until they were on the stand, and then she pulled away.

Suzaku turned to look at her, watching as Euphemia went to sit on the edge of the stand. She spend a moment settling her skirt before she patted the space next to her. When Suzaku didn’t immediately go over, she leaned back onto her hands. “I know it’s late, but I don’t think there’s anything wrong with stealing a few hours for ourselves.”

Suzaku thought of his lonely room given to him by the military or the opulent bedroom that he had been told was his when he had been knighted. Neither of them held a candle to the rooms in the clubhouse where Lelouch and Nunnally lived, but that wasn’t where he wanted to be.

He sat down beside Euphemia, close enough that their legs pressed together. Suzaku didn’t think that she paid as much attention to where they touched as he did, she was too busy looking up at the sky. Suzaku glanced over at her before tipping his head back to look at the stars again.

“They’re beautiful.”

“You could see more of them at my house.”

“Really?”

Suzaku nodded. “There was a field away from the house where you could see nearly everything. We used to go out there when the nights were clear.”

“You and your parents?”

“No.” Suzaku shook his head, trying to imagine Genbu taking the time to stargaze. He couldn’t remember enough about his mother to know if she would have come out to the field with him. “I went with Lelouch and Nunnally. We used to tell her the shapes we could see in the stars.”

“It must have been nice.” Euphemia chuckled to herself. “I’m glad you got to know them too.”

Suzaku nodded, wanting to say that it had been the best time of his life, but it was hard when he had Euphemia. It might have been the best summer of his life, but it was nothing compared to his time with Euphemia. With Euphemia, he didn’t have to remember the terror that had ended that summer.

He started when he felt Euphemia’s hand rest on top of his. He glanced over at her, quickly looking away when he realized that she was looking at the stars again. Suzaku let his hand rest steadily under hers, taking a deep breath of the chilly night air.

Suzaku shivered when he felt Euphemia’s gaze land on him. She squeezed his hand, Suzaku daring to look back her way. Euphemia smiled at him, carefully manipulating their hands until their fingers were twined together. “As soon as we get the SAZ running, we’ll have to go out there. We’ll need a night off from all of this by then.”

Suzaku nodded. He could easily imagine Euphemia throwing herself into the administration of the SAZ just like she had pushed herself in setting it up. After all, she wouldn’t have her duties as a princess and sub-viceroy to deal with. With all of that, it would be nice to go somewhere they could relax, if only to save Euphemia from stressing herself out.

He doubted that he would need the break as much as Euphemia did. As long as he could be with her, he would be fine.


	6. And Lived Happily Ever After

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for the prompt "Happy End."

Suzaku looked up at the click of the door, staring in surprise when he saw Kallen lurking on the other side of the door. She gave him a furtive look before waving him forward. Suzaku took a hesitant step forward, the motion apparently too slow because she stormed into the room and grabbed his arm.

He yelped as he was dragged forward, cringing when he was hauled out into the open hall. He fully expected to see Nicolette Stadtfeld lurking in the hallway, ready to spring on the two of them, but Kallen’s stepmother was nowhere to be found. Suzaku frowned and leaned further out to the other side, looking for the other two daughters when Kallen pulled on his arm.

“Come  _on._ ”

“But what about-”

“Downstairs.” Kallen started towing him toward the rickety spiral staircase that led down from the attic. Her voice echoed slightly in the small space, Suzaku almost tempted to motion for her to be quiet. If Nicolette and her two daughters were downstairs, then they would definitely hear Kallen. Except that Kallen didn’t seem to care, she was too busy hauling him forward. “They’re all distracted at the moment, which means you can get out.”

“Why?”

That got Kallen to stop in her tracks. Suzaku slammed into her, quick to throw his arm out to brace himself against the wall.

Kallen let go of his arm spinning around to face him. She didn’t even seem to care about the way the boards creaked under her feet. “Why? Why the hell would you want to stay here?”

Suzaku made a sound, Kallen reacting by turning and pointing down the stairs. “She’s down there and you’re just doing to stay upstairs because my stepmother told you to?”

Suzaku shrugged, not sure that he could say anything that Kallen would understand. He was with their family for a reason, because Britannia couldn’t trust the son of the last prime minister of Japan. It didn’t matter that Japan had been quiet for years, he was still a threat. The emperor and his government would always be watching him, waiting for him to make one wrong move. He couldn’t bring Euphemia into that, not when Suzaku knew what the end result would be. It was far better to remove a threat entirely, and he couldn’t imagine Euphemia just letting him go. If he could spare her any of that, he would.

Kallen had a disgusted look on her face when he looked back up at her. She glared at him before throwing up her hands. “Fine then, go back to the attic room. Spend your entire life there. I’m not going to deal with this anymore. I am more than Nicolette’s servant, I’ve proven that and I can prove it again. You can stay, but I’m leaving with the princess.”

She turned on her heel and stormed down the stairs. Suzaku remained silent where he stood, watching until she was out of the door at the base of the stairs. He sighed and leaned back against the wall, staring down the stairs.

Kallen had figured out exactly what he had to do, but the actual act of turning around and walking back up to the attic was something that he found that he couldn’t do. He had spent a week locked up in the attic, which had given him plenty of time to think. The conclusion that he had reached was solid and it was the only way he thought would make them happy. After all, Suzaku hadn’t had much luck before.

He sighed and trudged back up to the attic, trying to ignore the way his feet sounded so loud on the old floorboards. Suzaku sighed and tipped his head back. The turret of the tower rose above him, Suzaku turning slowly in place. He could see all the old things that Nicolette had stowed in the attic over the years. Most of it was Kallen and her mother’s things, even the small star models that had been strung up. Before he had been locked up in the attic, it had been Kallen’s hide away. Nicolette and her daughters were afraid to come up into the attic; they were always complaining that it would fall apart under them.

Suzaku lowered his gaze from the ceiling and made his way over to the window, leaning against it. He traced patterns into the dust on the windows, a combination of pictures and kanji as they came to him. He sighed and quickly wiped it all away, not wanting to stare at it for too long.

He stopped the motion of his hand when he spotted the horses in the yard below. The first person he saw was Gino, his bright blond hair drawing Suzaku’s gaze over to him. The man was holding two horses, Suzaku recognizing the grey mare that Euphemia rode.

He found himself leaning forward, his hand resting on the catch of the window. He glanced over at his hand, intending to jerk it back when he saw Euphemia exit the house. She was holding her head high, but he could see the slump of her shoulders. Whatever she had been looking for wasn’t there, because Suzaku had been a coward.

Suzaku played with the catch, torn between the choices left for him. He wanted to stay behind, because it would be less painful for everyone else. But there was some part of him that wanted to go out there.

It wasn’t his fault that Genbu Kururugi had been prime minister when Britannia had taken over. It wasn’t his fault that Genbu had fought until the last moment. The only thing that was his fault was the end of the war, and that had been because he had wanted to protect the people. Suzaku had thought that protecting the people was the whole point of being prime minister. His father hadn’t gotten that, but Euphemia did. She was devoted to her people in all the ways that his father hadn’t been.

He leaned forward, feeling the catch on the window slip out of place. Suzaku jerked his hand back as the window opened. His first instinct was the yank the window close and retreat, but then he saw Kallen storm out of the house.

Her stepmother and sisters followed, but Kallen didn’t bother to look back. She just boosted herself up onto Gino’s horse, puffing out her chest. Suzaku could just imagine the sputtering that Nicolette and the two sisters were doing, because they couldn’t believe that someone who was part Eleven would be welcome in the ranks of the princess’ guard. Suzaku saw the flicker of a smile on Euphemia’s face, feeling himself smile back.

He had missed that in the week he had been locked up. He had missed sneaking out with Kallen to watch her practice with the rest of the guard. Euphemia hadn’t dropped by often, but when she had, her smile had lit up the rest of his day.

Suzaku swung his leg out over the window ledge before he really knew what he was doing. He caught himself, glancing back over his shoulder into the attic. The tinfoil stars caught the light, Suzaku watching their reflections dance along the ground, sometimes lighting up the stars that had fell down, but they mostly on the old, broken furniture. On a second glance, it wasn’t much of a sanctuary, it was just a repository for old and broken things. There was no place for him there, not when there was someone with a bright smile waiting for him below.

He sighed and swung all the way out of the window, catching himself on the old vines that grew on the side of the house. He quickly shifted his grip to the stones, holding himself there for a moment before starting down. It was easy to find handholds because most of the mortar was starting to flake away. Some of the stone was loose too, Suzaku quickly switching holds as one brick wiggled loose. He twisted to watch the stone fall to the ground, breathing out a sigh of relief when it landed in the garden.

Suzaku sped up, not trusting the stonework. Nicolette didn’t bother with the far wings of the house, not when they were low on money and it was easier to keep the main part of the house in good repair. The main part was the only thing that mattered when showing off to the rest of the nobility that came around.

Even with his careful pace a few more stones fell away from the structure before he hit the ground. Suzaku braced himself against the tower for a moment before turning out, fully expecting Euphemia to be right behind him.

The princess didn’t disappoint, Euphemia waiting for him a few steps away from her escort. He bowed to her, making it quick because he couldn’t bear to look away from her face. Euphemia just inclined her head, something more like her usual smile crossing her face.

“I’ve been looking for you, Suzaku.”

“Really?”

“You promised me a second dance, and I came to claim it.”

“I promised you a lot of things.”

Euphemia nodded, unclasping her hands. “You did. Do you intend to keep your promises?”

Suzaku couldn’t help but glance back at Nicolette. He had spent seven years asking for her permission and it was a hard habit to break. But the look on Nicolette’s face was an answer that he couldn’t accept. There was no way that she would say anything other than no with the way her lips were pressed together. Suzaku fully expected her to shake her head, but he made sure to look away before she could.

Instead, he dropped his gaze to the ground. “If you’ll have me.”

He felt fingers slide under his chin, Suzaku looking up at Euphemia as she lifted his chin. She was still smiling, her fingers quickly going away as she grabbed onto his hand. “I will.”

Suzaku heard a high pitched squeak from the front of the house, sure that it was Nicolette, but he ignored it. He was too busy following Euphemia over to her horse.

He dropped her hand, offering her a leg up onto the mare before swinging up behind her. Suzaku carefully wrapped his arms around her, seeing Euphemia’s head move as she looked down at Nicolette and her daughters. He couldn’t see her expression, but it was enough to make the three of them shrink back. Before he could ask her what she was doing Euphemia nudged the mare away from the house. The rest of the guard were quick to wheel with her.

Suzaku couldn’t keep himself from looking back as the cavalcade headed for the driveway. Nicolette and her two daughters looked so lonely with the old, crumbling house behind them. It was nothing like the house that he had been brought two seven years earlier.

He sighed and turned his head away, looking down the tree lined driveway, focusing on the light that he could see at the end of the lane.


	7. Here in My Garden of Shadow

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for the prompt "Halloween," and is part of my [ghost!Euphy AU](http://eachainn.tumblr.com/post/93812956074/41-ghostliving-person-au-for-suzaeuphy-dd). Title taken from the song _Come Little Children_

There was a bouquet of flowers waiting on her grave.

Euphemia came to a stop in front of the simple stone, kneeling down to touch the petals of the flowers. She smiled as she recognized them, exerting effort to lift the bouquet. Euphemia cradled the flowers to her chest, turning around to look at the old mausoleum. She could see someone moving out of the shadows, smiling when she saw Suzaku. She shifted the bouquet, holding it up slightly. “Thank you.”

“I…it was nothing.” Suzaku was blushing bright red, the teenager staring at the ground. Euphemia found herself smiling. “I just thought you deserved something. E-especially since you’ll be alone tonight.”

Euphemia floated up the steps to the mausoleum, carefully positioning herself by one of the pillars. She had been dead for decades, but that didn’t mean that she had forgotten how to pose herself to attract attention. It wasn’t something she got the urge to do often, because none of the other ghosts that she had seen were interested in talking to her. Besides, it was hard enough to keep her head carefully balanced on her neck. It had rolled off there enough time for her to be extra careful about the way she moved.

If there was some part of her that wanted to look good for Suzaku, she ignored it. It was just wonderful to have him around than having to just drift through Pendragon on her own.

“I thought you would be out with the others.”

Suzaku shook his head. “I could have, but I wanted to be here.”

Euphemia turned her head to look towards the gate. It was hard to see from the mausoleum, but she could see the thick chain that had been laid across them. She had watched the keepers of the cemetery set it up that morning to keep any teenagers from coming in on a dare. According to them, there were too many important graves to risk leaving them undisturbed. If anything, the locked graveyard just made the whole place lonely.

She looked back at Suzaku, looking at his dirty and dusty clothes.

He seemed to realize what he was looking at, Suzaku reaching down to brush off his jeans. “There’s an old tree towards the back. It’s easy to get in from there.”

“You didn’t hurt yourself…”

“No. It was a dare from middle school.” Suzaku shrugged and walked forward to join her on the steps. He leaned against one of the pillars, looking out into the graveyard. “And I wanted to give you that,” he motioned towards the flowers, “because I noticed that no one leaves flowers on your grave.”

Euphemia sighed and pressed her shoulder into the column to give the impression of leaning against it. “I don’t really have anyone left, and I’m not that famous. I really don’t mind.”

“My mother says it’s not right.” Suzaku licked his lips before turning away from her. Euphemia frowned and drifted closer, watching over Suzaku’s shoulder as he played with his fingers. He finally stopped with a long sigh, giving her a quick look over his shoulder before shrugging. “Mother says that some people are ghosts because they aren’t buried properly or aren’t honored well. They come back because they’re afraid of being forgotten.”

“That’s not why I’m still here.”

“Then why?”

Euphemia shrugged, knowing it wasn’t the right answer. The intricacies of the afterlife were beyond her, even after so many years. The only rule seemed to be that there were no rules, every person’s soul was an individual case, bound to their own way of being.

She turned her attention back to the bouquet, tracking her finger over the petal of a lily. “Maybe it’s because I died young. I don’t blame any of my siblings for acting the way they did, they gave me plenty of warning and I…I just…” Euphemia sighed, moving through a column so she could look Suzaku in the eyes, “I don’t think any of them could have given the order. I don’t think I’m still around because I’m angry, but it would be wrong to say that it’s the shock of being dead.”

“Then what?”

“I think I’m still around because my unfinished business is just living. I got so much joy out of it that I…it didn’t seem fair to stop.” She looked down at the flowers, picking through them instead of focusing on Suzaku. It was easier to parse through their meanings than try to answer what she was still doing on earth.

She knew part of the reason now, because she spent most of her time with him. But Suzaku was a recent thing, a chance encounter that had turned into a friendship. He couldn’t have been her reason for coming back all those years ago. In her more maudlin moments, Euphemia liked to think that she was still acting as queen, watching over the people of Pendragon, but she knew that couldn’t be true. The people of Pendragon had forgotten her just as quickly as they had cheered her name.

Euphemia glanced up at Suzaku, offering him a shaky smile. “I really don’t care why I’m still here. I just enjoy being here. Unless, you’d rather me leave?”

“No!” Suzaku reached out for her, his fingers passing through her wrist before he remembered that he couldn’t touch her. Suzaku reeling back, catching himself on one of the columns.

Euphemia watched him carefully before moving away from the mausoleum. She went back to her grave, bending over to place the bouquet of flowers there. She stared down at them, the flowers and their ribbon bright against the autumn grass and the grey of her headstone. She reached out to touch her headstone, giving it a fond pat before turning to look back at Suzaku.

“I don’t want to leave, but I don’t want you to worry about me either. It’s alright if you’re the only one who remembers me. I never wanted that much attention when I was alive anyway.”

That brought a smile to Suzaku’s face, Euphemia finding herself smiling back.

She was sure that she hadn’t remained behind for Suzaku, but she was sure that he was one of her reasons for staying now. The way he smiled at her might not have been worth the pain and suffering that had led up to her execution, but it was worth remaining for. As long as she could still bring joy, she was at peace.


End file.
